But if nothing in the excellency of this great calling will encourage us to war thus, yet let glory do it. ' Called to glory,' as it is Heb. xii. 2. Set glory before thy eyes, this or nothing will make thee go on. Look at Christ Jesus, ' who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of God.' This will encourage thee to go on ; and if thou so run that thou mayest obtain, so shalt thou in time be.
This is that which formerly hath been taught us out of the former chapter, Heb. xi. 10. Of all those famous champions, what made them hold out so in all their troubles and crosses but this, that they look at ' a better city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God ?' Here, therefore, stir up your fainting spirits to despise these base things you so delight in here, and look at glory ; and to stir you up a little thereunto, give me leave to tell you a story which may help you to see what base delights we rejoice so in.
It is written of Ca3sar that, travelling in his journey through a certain city, as he passed along, he saw the women for the most playing with monkeys and parrots, at which sight, thinking it strange, he said. What, have they no children to play with ? So, I say, it is a base thing for ns_ to be so toying* with these worldly delights, as though we had no better things to look to, when we are carried away with fair buildings, rich house- hold stuff, riches, high birth, and the like ; what are all these but monkeys and parrots unto this glory ?
I confess, in themselves they are good things, but when these put Christ * That is, 'trifling'— G.
A GLIMPSE OF GLORY. 503
out of doors, and take np yonr heart so as we think most of them, then all is not well. Nay, even in the church, how are our hearts carried away from better things ? When we see one with a better fashioned gown than we, one with a better plume, oh our hearts run on this all the sermon time, never resting until we have the like. If it be thus with us still, 0 God, where is our calling to glory and virtue ? Where is that kingdom we aspire after, when we hunt so eagerly after these things, in themselves so vain, got with so much ado, kept with so many fears, and parted with [with] such a deal of sorrow, and thus forget that calling of him who calleth us to glory and virtue ?
It were good, methinks, that every man, when he is a-going to these idle sports, should thus reason with himself: 0 my soul, whither now art thou a-going? to see such a show, to see such a fair house, to see this mask and yonder play, and this and that company ? If these seem to delight thee, yet what are they compared to glory ? Are they not all vanity ? ^Vhy art thou so eager in vain things. Oh why are we told here of a calling unto glory and virtue, but to stir and lift our hearts unto the search of such a calling which we are called unto, and in regard thereof to set a low price on all the things of this earth ? There are many of you, I know, that dare not in your hearts say against that which I now speak, and yet you labour not for the same. Well, I wish you deceive not yourselves. Never think that you have learned anything, urftil your hearts be warned* and affected at these things. Oh worldly-minded men, and so taken up with the things of this life, with the base trudgery of this world !
2. The next is, to value the children of God highly for the graces of God in them, so judging of them. Not that I take upon me, as some have foolishly done, to judge and know certainly such a one to go to heaven or not. I determine not of such, only I mean that such in whom we see God's graces shine in a holy life, we must judge that such are called. And to what are they called ? To glory, and eternal glory. You see how much ado we make here of great heirs, though we shall never be the better for them. How we do prize, embrace, dandle them in our arms, who at age never thank us again. If we delight so in these great heirs, why prize we not the heirs of heaven? why delight we not in God's children, who are greater heirs ? Perhaps they are in their minority and nonage, yet are they heirs of heaven, kings and priests of God. But perhaps they are wronged and abused by some in this world, yet are they great heirs still. How darest thou despise or abuse any of these little ones ? Sayest thou that thou art called to glory and virtue ? Hast thou any portion in Christ, and despisest such? If thou wert called to glory, thou wouldst highly esteem of such.